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SCOUTING; THE BIG TIME

Brian Cooper is a 21-year-old McNeese State junior from Lake Charles, La. Last Friday in Madison Square Garden, he made the lengthiest long jump of his career - 26 feet 11 3/4 inches - and won the USA/ Mobil National Indoor Championship.

That qualified him for the United States team for the first World Indoor Track and Field Championships, which begin today in Indianapolis. Minutes after his victory in the Garden, he was approached by Steve Miller of Kansas State, the United States men's coach for the world indoor championships.

''What are you doing next weekend?'' Miller asked. ''Probably going fishing.'' ''How would you like to jump in the world indoor championships?'' ''Who's going to be there?'' Miller ran down the list of leading long jumpers from the Soviet Union, Italy, Cuba, Nigeria and other nations. Cooper was convinced and agreed to compete.

''This sounds like a big meet,'' he said, ''even bigger than the L.S.U. Invitation.''

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A version of this article appears in print on March 6, 1987, on Page D00021 of the National edition with the headline: SCOUTING; THE BIG TIME. Order Reprints|Today's Paper|Subscribe